It would not be amiss, however, to say they are weaker drugs compared to other treatments available to you. My impression has always been that they were the best drugs a couple of years ago, because they do reduce symptoms and provide some relief, so at least they gave people hope.

While I can't speak to the various alternative treatments on the market, the trend with antibiotics has been to combine a macrolide with a cephalosporin, and add in a cyst buster (rifampin, flagyl, or tinidazole). People also treat co-infections without waiting to get test results, and watch to see if they improve.

The overwhelming consensus on this board is that you cannot recover from Lyme if you have co-infections. While plaquenil can help a little with babesia, you should not, under any circumstances, rely on it.

The first few days were rough but after my body adjusted I have virtually no side effects. My energy level and brain fog are vastly improved. I have minimal herxing.

My neuro symptoms are going away. I have whole days now without any tingling or numbness in my back, arms, legs. The feeling is returning to my face slowly but steadily. I don't feel pinpricks or bugs crawling on me anyore. My feet haven't gone numb since June.

For me these drugs have been much easier than doxy or tetra and improvement steady. They have also given my stomach a needed break.